The Hospitality and Event Management program prepares Lasell College students to enter into one of the largest industries in the U.S., one that provides accommodations, entertainment, food and beverage, event services, and tourism opportunities to people around the world.

Faculty Bio

The hospitality industry is a growing and dynamic field offering many career opportunities for graduates. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 13 million people are currently employed in leisure and hospitality jobs in the United States. While many industries have been struggling with unemployment over the past couple of years, new growth in the hospitality industry has provided an increase in employment and career opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between December 2009 and December 2010, employment in the industry increased by 240,000 and the leisure/hospitality sector was second only to health care in the number of jobs created in 2011. Additionally, employment of lodging managers is expected to grow by 8 percent from 2010 to 2020 and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The event management industry is projected to grow by at least 29 percent, which is much faster than the average segment in the U.S. Further projection shows that service-providing sectors are expected to have more job growth than any other sector from 2010 to 2020, with the number of wage and salary-workers in the travel and leisure industries increasing from 7.3 million to 19.4 million, an annual growth rate of 1.5 percent.

Locally, the hospitality industry as a whole is projected to increase even higher than the average region in the U.S. over the next few years due to legislation that will be allowing the casino industry to be introduced into Massachusetts, thus increasing jobs in the lodging, entertainment, events, food and beverage, and other related industries.

Lasell’s Hospitality and Event Management program offers three majors leading to a Bachelor of Science degree:

At Lasell, students gain valuable connected learning experience both on campus - through simulations, certifications, debates, theoretical applications, and hands-on training, and off campus -through event planning for local organizations and private citizens, site visits, and meeting with industry professionals around New England. A few examples include the Boston Harbor Hotel, TD Garden, Rafanelli Events, Fenway Park, the Boston Public Library, Mohegan Sun, and the Taj Hotel. In addition, students are required to complete field experiences and at least one full internship so they leave with a resume full of both academic accomplishments and real-world experience.